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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. tube — the underground
  4. fine — high quality
  5. net — for catching
  6. fine — all right
  7. ball — a dance
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. net — in sport
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. dip — to sink
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. net — after costs
  15. ball — a great time
  16. staff — a stick
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. staff — employees
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. staff — employees
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. tube — a container
  24. fine — a penalty

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com